Black and Decker BV5600 Leaf Blower Review
Performance
Forgiveness
Build Quality
Look & Feel
Price
PROS
- Built with strong and durable plastic components
- Thick mulching blade, easy to clean and maintain
- Well-placed handles
- Light enough to support using a shoulder strap
- Ability to sweep and mulch up to 245 gallons of leaves in less than 8 hours.
- Features quick adjustments.
CONS
- Leaves stick in the suction tube
- It requires a good shoulder strap
- Vacuum hose is relatively wide, making it impossible to collect leaves between plants
- Sometimes dust particles escape during the mulching process
A leaf blower is a great tool when you are cleaning your backyard or when you are collecting leafs around the parking lot of your business. The problem is, these units have become much diversified in the recent past and you barely have an idea of what to look for when you are shopping. Black and Decker BV5600 is one of the leaf blowers on the market; at first glance, it looks similar to other blowers in the competition.
In terms of appearance and size, there is no way to differentiate one leaf blower from the other; the difference only comes in their performance and cost. In short, the Black and Decker BV5600 is a heavy duty garden leaf vacuum that was created to vacuum leaves, pine needles, grass clippings and other lawn debris including small branches. It is set apart from its competitors by its high performance.
KEY FEATURES
Below are some of the main features that the Black and Decker BV5600 has to offer:
- The Black and Decker BV5600 is a high-performance electric 3-in-1 unit; it can be used as a leaf vacuum, as a leaf blower and also as a leaf shredder or mulcher.
- For its great features, the Black and Decker BV5600 is offered at a great price.
- The unit sports a 12-amp motor that gives it enough power to attain a maximum of 250 mph airspeed, which is great if you are doing any type of cleaning at home or business premises.
- It allows you to choose between two speed settings. The lower power unit can operate at 180 mph airspeed. Generally, it perform seamlessly without leaving any leaves.
- It is fitted with a High-Impact metal fan, which is highly durable. This fan keeps the blower free of clogging when you are vacuuming and when you are mulching.
- It has a collection bag that can hold up to 1.5 bushels, equivalent to 50 liters, of shredded debris.
- The system is offered with a pivoting nozzle that loosens the leaves after you're done working, allowing you to clean the unit with ease.
Black and Decker BV5600 Review
Before you decide on buying this high-performance electric mulcher, it is important that we guide you through its capabilities so that you make an informed decision. Below, a video demonstrating the performance of the Black and Decker BV5600:
Performance
The BV5600 is designed to help you clean your lawn without much effort. Created with a lightweight plastic design, this blower/vacuum/shredder is highly portable and easily hangs on your shoulders when you are working. In fact, you will not feel its weight if all you need is a few hours of cleaning.
With air speeds of up to 250mph, the blower is able to take up even the tiniest debris in your yard. The good thing is, the motor is metallic and stays productive for a long time. Better yet, you have the power to control the speed of the blower; low-speed settings are for sensitive areas in your home or office while high-speed settings are for collecting leaves and small branches around your yard.
Looking at the design of the BV5600 you’ll note that it has been built to withstand heavy duty operations. The manufacturer claims that it can grind down 16 bags of leaves and debris down to one collection bag. This means you can work with it for 8 hours without emptying the mulch in the bag.
The BV5600 has sharp blades that will definitely amaze you. As you know, Black & Decker leaf blowers are well known for their ability to grind every object that comes in its chamber. You do not have to worry about the machine clogging; its high-impact metal man will do the job for you.
BV5600 is perfect for individuals with large amounts of leaf debris and reside in wet places. It has powerful removal techniques that such individuals could benefit from. Moreover, it has an adaptation that loosens the leaves before being removed. It does not matter if you are planning to work on a hard surface; this multi-purpose machine is well adapted to such surfaces.
Better still, the unit only makes about 68 dB when working. This is noise much lower than the what most electric blowers make.
Forgiveness
The BV5600 is designed for all levels of users from total beginners to the advanced user who has been using the unit every day. Though it does not come ready to use out of the box and you have to assemble some parts, it presents a simple enough design to be used by anyone. While in operation, the unit does not twist and it maintains its sturdiness and steadiness throughout the cleaning. Even better, even when you have not mastered the art of holding it for maximum efficiency, it will still collect debris with ease.
Design & Build Quality
If you have come across the Black & Decker BV6600, you’ll see that it looks similar to the BV5600 in terms of design and construction. The BV5600 features the same strong plastic components and it is also light in nature. Just like most Black & Decker leaf blowers, this machine is offered with simple parts that are easy to assemble even for a complete beginner; two tools are required for assembly.
You’ll actually enjoy when blowing your lawn. Moreover, it is fitted with a pivoting action turbo nozzle that speeds up the clean-up process. You do not have to worry about the electric cord since the machine has a built-in cord retainer that prevents any interruptions and ensures that the machine remains plugged in during use.
You do not have to worry about the electric cord since the machine has a built-in cord retainer that prevents any interruptions and ensures that the machine remains plugged in during use. The good thing is that this blower has been designed to clear decks, sidewalks, garages and driveways of debris.
Price
Black and Decker BV5600 is a budget leaf blower especially given that the competitors cost even up to $200 with most costing between $140 and $160. The BV5600 costs less than $100 and it gives you three different functionalities for that. Though the price of the blower is relatively low, the blower does not compromise on performance. Reported incidences of the blower failing are low according to the manufacturer. Again, the blower does suck up unwanted materials such as stones that may spoil its fan and interfere with its working.
Look & Feel
The BV5600 looks similar to the BV3600 and the BV6600 but with a slight variation in several features. It is sturdy and even though it is not the lightest leaf blower on the market, it still manages to shed off some pounds from the previous version. The workmanship of the BV5600 is unrivaled and the feel is nothing short of premium. Definitely, this machine has an awesome design that makes it look attractive.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
This section will aim to give you a brief comparison of other leaf blowers that have similar features or differ slightly.
The BV6600 Black and Decker has similar features with the BV5600 model. This high-performance blower has a 12 amps motor that powers the machine with a maximum of 250 miles per hour of blowing speed.
In fact, if you were to compare the BV5600 vs BV6600 you might get confused on which to choose.
The BV6600 comes with a large collecting bag that holds a lot of mulch. This allows you to work without having to empty. It has a solid mulching blade that does a great job. The BV6600 is good for sucking and mulching your leaves. This machine is a slightly heavier than the Black and Decker BV5600 Leaf Blower; in fact, this model may not be suitable for seniors.
This high-performance blower/mulcher/blower has similar features with the Black & Decker models above. It is ideal for beginners due to its easy change between the blower and vacuum. You can regulate its speed.
In case you are a beginner, always work with the minimum speed until you get used.
This machine has an effective leaf bag system that holds a great amount of leaf debris. When deciding which machine is better between the Black & Decker BV5600 vs BV6000 you can use the price to make a decision. Both models are designed to work swiftly and produce low noise.
Both models can be used during heavy duty operations. Finally, the BV6000 model comes with disposable leaf bags that are made of compostable materials. This model is actually more comfortable than the rest due to its lightweight nature.
Most of the people who are looking to purchase leaf blowers are always torn between choosing a Worx vs Black and Decker leaf blower.
As much as we love the Black and Decker leaf blower, we have to admit that this Worx blower has a compact and lightweight design.
Unlike the Black & Decker BV5600, this machine weighs less than 4 lbs. Its weight alone makes it easy to use for beginners, seniors, and young users. You only need one hand to do your cleaning job. The only drawback with the Worx is that it has a speed of 120 mph. The speed is enough to clean large areas but not the best.
The product comes with 8 attachments to help you with the different cleaning tasks. This includes deflator attachments to help you deflate pool toys, rafts, and mattresses.This machine is powered by a 20V battery which means you don’t have to struggle with cords.
The Toro 51619 leaf blower is one of the top rated leaf blowers available. Most people prefer buying it for its uniqueness and high performance. The product is fitted with a large metallic impeller that improves mulching and drives power.
This model is available in various sub-models based on the blower’s speed. This means you will have the chance of choosing the speed that suits you.
The highest speed goes up to 250 mph while the lowest is 160 mph. The price of a blower increases depending on the speed. The BV5600 model is similar to the Toro 51619 in terms of capabilities. The only difference is that this Blower does not come with an extension cord. On a positive note, it has a concentrator nozzle, vacuum tube, cord storage hook and a bottom zip bag.
Generally, this machine will provide you with all the versatility and power you require to clean up your lawn or pool area.
Conclusion
The Black and Decker BV5600 is worth the attention it gets; the three functionalities give it an edge over other leaf blowers and vacuums on the market. In fact, it is less likely that you will come across another blower with all the three functionalities in one unit. In simple words, the unit offers you convenience while ensuring user-friendliness at a great price. Though the unit has a few drawbacks, chances of these affecting your operation are low. Before making your final decision, compare the blower necessities to ensure that you have the best.